Twenty-five years have passed since a peaceful Tasmanian seaside community was shattered by the brutal murder of a young Italian tourist on one of its remote and beautiful beaches. Still to this day, no-one has ever been charged with the murder of Victoria Cafasso. But Victoria’s death wasn’t the first disturbing event along that picturesque coastline — young German tourist Nancy Grunwaldt had disappeared from the same area two years earlier. With the anniversary of Victoria’s death, the Mercury revisits these two mysteries to find out what the police detectives and the locals think...
Victoria’s father had a heart attack the day after her memorial service and died. Nancy’s “heartbroken” father died in 2005 never knowing what happened to his daughter. Detective Inspector Kim Steven, who currently has carriage over both cold cases, explains how nothing would make him happier...
Published 10/14/20
From a fruit picker who falsely claimed he killed Nancy, to a person who meditated on Beaumaris Beach until “visions” came, and even a red jacket planted as false evidence after Victoria’s murder, these cold cases have led to plenty of dead ends and bizarre false leads. Retired detective Bob...
Published 10/13/20
Detective Inspector Kim Steven is the keeper of reams of documents and huge files of evidence stored over Nancy’s disappearance and Victoria’s murder. He’s been reviewing the two cold cases over the past 18 months, and hopes that on the 25th anniversary of Victoria’s death, someone will finally...
Published 10/10/20